KARACHI: Sindh High Court has issued notices against appointments in the NICVD as well as the AAG with directions to file comments and the Secretary Health Department, Government of Sindh to submit a comprehensive report. The notices are also issued to the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD) through its Executive Director, and Director General Audit Sindh, Department of Auditor General of Pakistan in addition to others.

According to details, the petitioner has questioned the legality of occupying the public offices by the private respondents in the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD) namely; Muhammad Fasil, Head of Internal Audit (BPS-18), Dawar Hussain, Head of  Human Resources (BPS-18), Rajia Urooj, Head of Stores (BPS-18), Karim Mombani, Manager OPD (Services) (BPS-16-17), Azhar Ashfaq, Assistant Manager Procurement (BPS-16-17), and Syed Khurshid Hyder, Manager Corporate Services (BPS-17).

The petitioner called for the record and proceedings of selection/ appointments of all the six respondents and to inquire under what authority of law they were holding their respective posts being ineligible for their candidate and if they failed to show the same, selection/ appointments may be declared unlawful and without the authority of law. Direct to DG NAB Karachi to enquire about the matter of illegal appointments of NICVD Officers and submit the report within 30 days and as well as fix the responsibility against the Authority whosoever is responsible for unlawful appointments.

Recover the paid salaries from the respondents’ worth of millions of rupees, per month wise from the date of their respective joining. Restrain the officials from releasing salaries of these all in terms of recommendations of the Annual Audit Inspection report of 2020-21 forwarded by the Director General Audit Sindh, Department of Auditor General of Pakistan.

As per the petitioner, all the posts were required to be filled in on “Merit” but the management of the NICVD had appointed their blue-eyed persons. In view of the findings of the Annual Audit Inspection report of 2020-21 the impugned selection process was in violation of relevant rules and appointed unqualified and inexperienced persons against the higher posts with higher remuneration than the normal pay scale, which caused colossal loss to the public exchequer which is a classic example of misuse of public powers and allegedly promoting favoritism, nepotism by appointing blue-eyed persons in the departure of merit and prescribed criteria.

Published in The Daily National Courier, February, 11 2023

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